Help!

[cupcake]

Today I received an encyclia seedling, (vitellina) Now I was expecting it to be small, but it's TINY! It came in damp sphag, but what do you think I should be potting it up in please ? I would hate to have my first fatality! Judi

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

When I bought one from Andy's orchids in bloom, he said that I should grow it in very high light and keep it quite cool. Well I can give it high light or keep it cool, can't do both. I tried cool, which meant on the floor where the light is less than Catt light. Not good enough, so now it has gone on to the big greenhouse in the sky. Next time it will be high light, but this will mean much warmer. Will wait for a good price as the chances are not going to be good for the plant. I think for you, give it the highest light you can without warming the leaves too much, then just don't let it get over heated.

[Tobi]

Hi Judi,
If it's a seedling that small I would pot it in a small pot with a fine compost bark media with perlite. Here is some info I found that might help. Good luck!!
http://www.orchidweb.com/OrchidOfWeek.aspx?ID=56

[tom499]

i would stick it in a propagator seedlings usually want abit more warmth, extra humidity and NO fertiliser. keep it damp, i would keep the spag.

If you havent got a propagator keep it somewhere warm with a clear lid over it. an clear plastic tub will do, make holes to allow for air flow. Make sure it has reasonable light, then just leave it and dont adjust the conditions.

[Tobi]

Tom is right about the Sphag. I guess they prefer this over a bark media

[jerrymeola]

First I would get a new supplier. Seedlings this young are a problem unless you really know what you are doing. They should have advised you of the exact size and let you know of the difficulties. Larger plants are not much more expensive.

I am a commercial nursery and have given up seedlings unless I can dedicate a facility to growing nothing but seedlings. All my suppliers have 'nurseries' or 'labs' where they keep the seedlings. I raise a lot of Encyclia and find small plants do not seem to develop unless they have a substantial pseudobulb. Many seedlings (up to 1 inch pots) are little more than a leaf and these should not be sold. Most do not develop properly.

Basically the advice from tom is correct. Never dry out, damp, no fertilizer and warm.

If it makes it to a substantial plant then high Cattleya levels of light.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Jerry, I would say nix to the warmth. Vitellina is not at all a typical Encyclia, and I think it has even been put into a different genus.